Cheese and method of processing same



No Drawing.

Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- RIGHABD PASTERNACK AND RICHARD W. BURNEAM, OF BROOKLYN, 'NEW YORK.

ASSIGNOBS TOCHARLES PFIZER do CQMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, YORK, A CORPO- RATION OF NEW JERSEY CHEESE AND METHOD OF PROCESSINGSAME This invention relates to .cheese and the method of processing same and more particularly to emulsifying agents adapted for use 1n processing cheese.

Most of the cheeses found on the market today have been processed. This processing comprises giving the cheese a heat treatment at a temperature high enough to destroy un-. desirable bacteria but not high enough to disintegrate the cheese. Generally the cheese is kept at a temperature from about liqlihF.

1s processing sterilizes the cheese, greatly reducing its tendency to decay, and furthermore, improves the texture and appearance of the cheese. In some cases different kinds of cheeses are blended in this processing to give a cheese of improved flavor and more uniform and homogeneous texture. Also, in

the case of Camembert, Brie, and other cheeses of extremely soft consistency, it is advantageous to blend a firmer cheese with the soft cheese to obtain a cheese offirmer' character which can be more conveniently packed and served on the table.

In this processing of cheese, the cheese is reduced to a more or less plastic state and the trisodium citrate have beencommonly used-..

as emulsifying agents for this purpose. These salts, as well as others proposed for this purpose, have not proved satisfactory because they slowly form insoluble calcium salts by reaction with the calcium 'caseinate in the cheese, and, in the course of time, definite crystalline aggregates of these insoluble calcium salts separate from the cheese, producing a most undesirable grit in the-finished .cheese.

We have now discovered that soluble derivatives of gluconic acid, including the salts of gluconic acid such as the sodium, ammo-- Application filed June 13,

1930. Serial N0. 461,041.

the advantageous properties of the salts heretofore used for this purpose, and, furthermore, the very material added advantage.

that they do not form insoluble calcium salts. Processed cheeses in which these derivatives of gluconic acid have-been used as the emul- .sifying agent retain their smooth, homogeneous texture indefinitely and donot develop the undesirable, grit common to cheeses processed with phosphates, tartrates, citrates and the like, nor is the flavor of the finished cheese impaired.

Cheese may be processed using gluconates in the same manner cheeses are now processed using phosphates, tart-rates, citrates, etc. as

emulsifying agents, for example, by putting cheese or a mixture of cheeses through an ordinary meat grinder,- at the same time feeding into the mixture a soluble gluconate and about 015% of sodium chloride by weight of the cheese, the gluconate and chloride being dissolved in suflicient water to give the fin-,

ished cheese a water content of 40%, 3% more water being introduced at this point to compensate for loss due to evaporation in the a processing to follow. The ground mixture is then passed through a colander to give it greater uniformity and then placed in a steam jacketed kettle equipped with an eccentric motion agitator, the temperature raised to about 160 F. and the agitator run rapidly for five minutes, at the end of which time the emulsificationof-the cheese iscomplete. The agitator, is slowed down and the temperature of about 160 F. maintained for fifteen minutes longer to effect satisfactory sterilization. The gluconates are used in proportions ranging from 0.1% to 5.0% by weight of the cheese, 0.5% to 2.0% by weight of the cheese being the usual proportion.

The invention claimed is:

1. A product comprising sterilized cheese and a soluble gluconate.

2. Themethod of processing cheese comprising adding to the cheese at small proportion of a soluble salt of gluconic acid, heat ing the mass to a temperature high enough to destroy undesirable bacteria contained in the cheese but not sufliciently high to disintegrate the cheese, and maintaining the temperature 5 until the cheese is sterilized.

3. The method of processing cheese comprising mixing two or more kinds of cheese together, adding to the mixture a small proportion of a soluble salt of gluconic acid,

heating the mass to a temperature high enough to destroy undesirable bacteria contained in the cheese but not sufiiciently high to disintegrate the cheese, and maintaining the temperature until the cheese is sterilized.

4. A product comprising sterilized cheese and calcium gluconate. 1

5. A product-comprising sterilized cheese and potassium gluconatei 6. A product comprising sterilized cheese and ammonium gluconate.

7. A product comprising sterilized cheese and from 0, 1% to 5.0% by Weight of a soluble glucon'a'te.

8. A product comprising sterilized cheese and from 0.1% to 5.0% by Weight of a salt se-' lected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, ammonium and calcium gluconates. p

9. The method ofprocessing cheese comprising adding to the cheese a small proportion of calcium "gluconate, heating the mass to a temperature high enough to destroy undesirable bacteria contained in the cheese but not sufiiciently high to disintegrate the cheese, and maintaining the temperature until the cheese is sterilized.

10. The method of processing cheese comprising adding to the cheese a small proportion of potassium gluconate, heating the mass to a temperature high enough to destroy undesirable bacteria contained in the cheesebut not sufiiciently high to disintegrate the cheese, and maintaining the temperature until the cheese is sterilized.

11. The method of processing cheese com prising adding to the cheese a small proportion of ammonium gluconate, heating the mass to a temperature high enou 'h to destroy undesirable bacteria contained 1n the cheese but not sufliciently high to disintegrate the cheese, and maintaining the temperature untilthe cheese is sterilized.

Signed at Brookl in the county of Kings and State of ew York, this 11th day 66 of June A. D. 1930.

RICHARD PASTERNACK. RICHARD W. BURNHAM.

, proportion of a solublefinscnmmza 1,890,948.Richard Paamk and Raharawmmh nmkl ,N. Y. can-ESE AND METHOD or Pnocnssmo Sum. Patent dated member-13, 1932.

Disclaimer filed October 24, 1934, by the asslifingegnglwrles Pffizer d: Company, v I

the patentees, assenting, ratifying, and p f n Hereby disclaim from said Letters Patent claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 thereof as o ows: e 1; A product comprising sterilized cheese and a soluble gluconate. 2. The method osarlirocessing cheese comprising adding to the cheese a small t of gluconic acid, heatin the mass to a temperature h enough to destroy undesirable bacteria contained m the cheese but'not suflicien y disin grate the cheese, and maintaining the temperature until the cheese is ste" m a 3. The method of processing cheese comprising mixing two or more kinds of cheese together, adding to the mixture a small proportion of a soluble salt of luconic acid, heating the mass to a temperature high enough to destroy undesirable acteria contained inthe cheese but not sufficiently high to disintegrate the cheese, and

maintaining the temperature until the cheese is stenhzed 4. 'A product comprising sterilized cheese and calcium gluconate.

9. The method of processing cheese comprising adding to the cheese a small proportion of calcium gluconate, heating the mass to a temperature high enough to destroy undesirable bacteria contained in the cheese but not sufiiciently high to disintegrate the cheese, and maintaining the temperature until the cheese is sterilized.

[Qfi id Gazette November 20, 1934.] 

